Hope
by NachoC
Summary: Vampire AU. After getting kicked out her house because of her interest in humans as a vampire, Nico is left with nothing. However, just when she thought she was going to die peacefully, she heard a noise. I have decided to continue 'Hope.' Yay ! NicoMaki centric. Rated T. Haven't decided on other pairings yet. Reviews are appreciated; thanks for the support. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Love Live! School Idol Project.**_

* * *

Drip. Drip. Drip. Her tears formed a small puddle on the tainted and impure floor as she trembled, trying to register what had happened two days ago in her mind once again. Her breathing hitched, her lightless hair was incredibly damp. It wasn't her fault. It wasn't her fault that she liked humans. It was only natural for her. But, it was not natural for her parents. If only they acknowledged the fact that the ruby-eyed female liked humans, maybe things wouldn't have turned out this way. Earth was a cruel world, at least that was what she had learnt.

Now she was sheltered in an abandoned building, all alone. Nico managed to get inside from the back without getting noticed or spotted by the public, but it was evening anyway. She could hear the constant rain pound the nearby window, the wind raging like an infuriated God. The shouting, the screaming, why wouldn't her parents accept the fact that she liked humans? She was kicked out of the house with no belongings—she didn't care that she was a vampire. And she didn't like humans because of their blood, instead it was because of how interesting they were. There was so much to learn. Attending Otonokizaka Academy has certainly helped as well. During her time there, she learnt that humans have two specific genders, whereas she was no gender at all.

'Why?' you ask. Because she was seventeen. At the age of eighteen (next year), her gender will be revealed on her birthday by the Vampire Laws. If she had drunk a lot of male blood by then, she will become a male. If she had drunk female blood most of the time…you know what I'm going to say. At the moment, she was leaning towards the female side: she had consumed female blood a lot. She had only drunk male blood once, just to explore and experiment. That was when she saw a teenage boy in the alleyway, wondering what on earth he would taste like. And after she had sucked some—or most—of the content, she hid him away.

Her stomach gurgled, it had been three days since she had last digested the juicy blood. She was literally pleading for the watery content inside her head.

"Damn it. If this carries on, I might…" she trailed off, her eyesight became blurry, "die…"

Suddenly, a sharp pain began to take effect in her arm. Rolling up her gory sleeves, the raven-haired female glanced at the injury. A while ago, she had attempted to steal some food from a stall in the district; unfortunately it backfired—the owner of the stall was bellowing continuously— a sharp kitchen knife had dug into her flesh. She recalled the spout of blood that spewed over the ground and remembered the harsh words that were thrown at her. Luckily, she managed to escape. Because if she didn't flee in time, she would have been dead meat. Aside from that, her injury from the incident struggled to heal: it was still bleeding promptly. It was hopeless. With no food, with no blood... Nico was certain that her life would end. But, it was going to be a peaceful death. Instead of a painful one.

Nico threw her head back, staring at the ceiling wondrously. And then she covered half of her face, closing her eyes, tears dribbling down her icy cheeks.

"Is this…the end…?" she questioned herself, an emotionless expression equipped on her face. "I don't trust in anyone, not anymore…"

After all, she was always alone. Even though she wanted to develop a friendship during school so much. But her courage was weak, it was so little. As if it was a little ant surrounded all alone in a desert.

The firm walls laughed at her manically, their beady eyes staring creepily without turning away. Eventually she buried her face and hugged her knees. A sudden headache was present; she began to feel dizzy. Darkness was all she could see, there was no light source at all apart from the moon; a serene atmosphere loomed across the building.

"I…feel sick. I'm sick…of everything," Nico muttered, a crack in her tone.

She was exhausted, her knees couldn't function, her hands were too shaky. In addition, there was no blood to be found, despite that there was some on her arm. Because if she sucked the remaining blood that was left trailing down her arm and staining the floor, her chances of dying would increase. She didn't want to die. Not now. But it was reality. She pleaded inwardly that it was a dream, even though she knew 100% that it wasn't. All she could do was lie down and await her eventual death. Not even a smile escaped her lips, not even a frown, her lips remained straight as a line. Once again, she slowly shut her eyes, exhaling quietly. Maybe this was it after all. She screwed up, she literally ruined her life. Now, she had nothing. Though, it wasn't her fault; it was her parents. Or was it? Nico thought about reconsidering the blame, however she couldn't be bothered to since she had too many thoughts already and couldn't make enough space for it.

Before she could fall asleep and pass away, she heard a loud thump. Her eyes flickered open, and she was left in puzzlement. Hardly any noise _that_ loud had appeared since she had arrived here. Then something unusual happened: she saw light in the distance. A figure too. She wanted to run away, yet her legs didn't seem to be in the mood. The light flashed brightly, causing her to squint her eyes. She discovered that someone or something was holding a flashlight. Also, she heard music.

' _W-wasn't this building abandoned…?'_ she thought confusingly.

And when she surveyed the figures appearance, it turned out that she was a female with crimson hair, a school bag was clasped into her hands. Her tomato-coloured hair reminded Nico of the juicy, delicious content, causing her hunger to esteem even more. Nico fell silent, staring at the tall amethyst-eyed female who she assumed to be older than her. They both stared at the other— a questionable expression on the scarlet-haired girl—and she widened her eyes, surprised that the girl didn't scream or react. Instead of screaming that there was a creepy weirdo in the building, the teenager said, "Let me help you," while staring at Nico's damaged arm. The older one watched her take off her colourless headphones and place them inside her pocket, taking a glimpse of her ensemble after. The teenager was wearing a familiar white shirt…and a…stripy blue bow. In realisation, Nico enlarged her red orbs once again after processing the attire of the latter. This slender redhead was younger than her? And, she's attending Otonokizaka Academy? No, it must be a coincidence.

"What are you doing inside my house?" the crimson-headed female asked, aware of the dry tears plastered to Nico's face. The shadowy-haired vampire flinched.

"This is your house…? I thought it was abandoned," Nico replied; the other lass shook her head while crouching towards her.

"No. It isn't. And you haven't answered my question yet," the female unzipped her bag and rummaged through it. She managed to find a pack of tissues that she hadn't opened yet and removed them from her bag immediately.

"That's none of your business, Redhead." Nico coldly replied. "Is that a problem?"

Silent, the crimson-haired teenager wrapped the residual tissues around Nico's arm, ignoring the her bitter response. Nico pursed her lips in order to stop them trembling, her eyes twitching simultaneously at the hint of pain. Eventually she snatched her arm away from the latter, fed up. The other knitted her brows tightly in confusion.

"I don't need your help, got that?" Nico bluntly said, hostile ruby orbs trained onto the amethyst-eyed teen.

"If it keeps bleeding, you're going to die. I'd rather help a stranger than watch them die in front of me."

Nico laughed, "Die? My death's going to happen any second now. I might as well wait."

The redhead shook her head, "No. I won't let that happen."

"You're a stubborn one, aren't you?" Nico said, a sly grin creeping towards her lips, "I made myself clear that I _don't_ need your help."

"You're one to talk. Besides, look at you,"—the girl said, eyeing Nico directly—"Anyways, what happened? Out of curiosity only. It's not like I care about you or anything,"

"Ha. No one cares about me anyway…" Nico smirked. "Not anymore…"

She then stood up, somewhat stumbling as she did. The purple-eyed teenager's concern didn't matter to her. "I'm leaving."

And she began to pace to the exit while trailing her hands on the walls, just in case she fell down. Her vision was still blurry, she couldn't make out the scene in front of her. The headache didn't seem to vanish as well. Just when she was going to take another step, Nico stopped. Her hands were too weak to grasp onto the walls, her legs kept quaking viciously. And so she fell, a loud crash echoing throughout the hallway like a ghost. She couldn't take it anymore, even if she tried to get back up, her knees were too fragile. Blood kept dripping on the floor, revealed by the shimmering moonlight from the window. Nico hoisted her head weakly, extending her arm. The horror-struck redhead hurriedly sprinted up to her while also noticing that the tissues failed to prevent the bleeding, as it was completely smothered in blood.

"Hey! D-don't die! Not now!" she bellowed, taking Nico's hand. Nico's head rose, trailing her fingers up the others arm, aiming towards a certain spot. She caressed the pale, soft neck of the younger one, her desire for juice increasing rapidly. The other lifted her eyebrows, bewildered by this sight. "W-what are y-you…?"

"I…need blood…" Nico mumbled, her ruby orbs glowing into an incredible shade of red. She could feel her fangs grow inside her mouth, and she licked her lips lustfully. Then she leaned towards the crimson-haired lass' neck, narrowing the distance between them second by second in preparation for dinner.

"…Itadakimasu…"

* * *

 _A/N:_

Some of you guys might be wondering why this isn't a Private Wars chapter, some of you might be wondering why I haven't updated for quite a while. Well, I went on a business trip for a few days. And also, I had some family issues as well as writers block for Private Wars. That's why I am going to announce now that Private Wars will be on **_Hiatus_** (I even underlined it, put it in italics and made it bold) until...I don't know. I know that some of you might feel disappointed, but I really can't type a single word about it apart from the number of the chapter. Gomen. Apart from that, I have started a new story. I've got a lot of ideas running through my mind for this story, and this will be a NicoMaki focused fic. I don't know what other pairings I will include. Maybe not the main ships, since I think that I should experiment with the potential or crack pairings. I don't know, to be honest. It's just a thing I am trying out, since I do not mind other pairings. Even though I have my OTP's for Love Live, but...it should be up to you.

This was just a test chapter, to see whether you're interested or not. I'm not sure about writing more of this, but like I said, I've got a lot of ideas for the story. It would be very appreciated if you review, since I would really like to know what your thoughts on this story are. Once again, I'm sorry.

~Nacho

P.S: Updates might be slow. Lately work has been piling up ever since the business trip.


	2. Chapter 2

**_~oOoOoOoOoOo~_**

 ** _Chapter Two_**

 ** _~oOoOoOoOoOo~_**

* * *

Crunch. Nico's fangs delved into the crimson-headed teenager's neck, her ruby orbs brighter than before. Her thirst for blood could finally be fulfilled, and it was vital. Nico sucked the content thoroughly, steadying her pace as she did. The lass let out a yelp, shocked by the vampire's actions; her eyes began to close from the betrayal of her vision. Her body felt numb, and she couldn't move—it was like her soul was draining to nothingness. Nico didn't want to kill the slender female, as she was a human, and she liked them, after all. Nico was just...afraid. Plus, she had _never_ killed her victims and did not want the amethyst-eyed girl to be the first one. Though her mother and father thought different about killing their victims, especially when they were shouting; it irritated her. And it still does.

* * *

" _We can't coexist with humans! They are only for satisfying our needs!"_

" _What's wrong with you?!"_

" _Why do you like them, Nico? Hm? WHY!?"_

" _BE QUIET!"_

" _You aren't my daughter…WHERE IS SHE?!"_

" _That's it."_

" ** _Get out_** _. Now."_

* * *

Only a little patch of blood was alright for a few days; the best thing about it was that it was scrumptious and highly satisfying. She was different to the deadly vampires from the movies, and in reality. She was different to _them_. EX Vampires' desires were to murder their victims undercover—they were very professional in stealth and only strike when their victim is in a quiet, lonely area. They either strike instantly or they lead them to the area by using some bait of sorts. It was rare to do it public, and very risky. The only way to stop them was to fight them or either use another method to send them away. That was all she knew; it disgusted the raven-headed that there were vampires who didn't want to coexist with the humans. Just like her mother and father. But, Earth really was a cruel world. As Nico continued to suck a little bit more (but not too much) of the vital liquid, the ongoing thought of her parents was still registered in her mind. She never wanted to mention _them_ ever again. And she wanted to keep it that way. But the thought wouldn't go away.

"…What…are you…?" the victim whispered with her eyebrows softly creased. Nico withdrew her mouth from her neck in elation, two clear bite marks in view. The relish of her dinner was truly fulfilling. Thin strings of blood rolled down the girl's pale skin, and so Nico began to lick it slowly, craving for more. Her victim cringed, tightly closing her eyes as Nico slithered her tongue up and down, tracing invisible circles on her sensitive armour concurrently. Nico made sure to consume every last bit of the red juice. And once she had achieved it, the vampire placed her digits on the redhead sensitive skin once again, licking her bloody lips. Eventually the hint of cherry faded from Nico's eyes, returning back to normal. Then Nico glanced at her arm—it wasn't bleeding as much as it was before now; a land of skin began to outline the injury. Her diligent arm began to feel sore, but she didn't care. As long the bleeding was healed, she didn't care. Relieved, Nico sighed. She wasn't going to die. And it felt like she was invincible after her satisfying meal. The vampire stretched her arms, yawning afterwards. Her exhaustion died down slightly, however she was still exhausted.

While Nico was busy occupying herself, the teenager grasped onto her neck, shaking her head in disbelief and regaining her awareness of her surroundings as she widened her lavender orbs. Then she took a step back, inhaling and exhaling quietly. Nico jolted, staring at the strawberry-haired female. "V-V-Vampire?!"

Before the vampire could say anything, she thought. Nico tried to think of something to go around the situation. She was unsure whether it would work, but hopefully it would: she wanted to get out.

"No, idiot." Nico lied. "You're just having hallucinations,"

Once Nico had misstated her true identity, the redhead pointed her finger at the older one, stuttering, "N-no! I-I swear, you just sucked my blood! A-and, your injury vanished!"

When she was aware of her protesting, Nico rolled her eyes, turning her back towards the teen grimly. She took a step forward—this time she didn't stumble, fortunately. The exit was just a few inches away; she wanted to get out and forget that this ever happened. It was a memory that she wanted to escape from, and did not want to be trapped inside. Her dark hair that was tied up in a single, low ponytail and ran down below her shoulders swayed side to side as she continued to departure. Nico didn't have the courage to at least say 'bye', despite the fact that she liked humans. The vampire couldn't entirely understand—she just brushed it off. Gritting her teeth, the scarlet-haired female sprinted up to her in the blink of an eye, her expression stiffening after. Nico froze, tilting her head to meet beautiful, violet eyes. It was then she noticed how elegant they were, but she shook the thought off like trash. She looked down to see that the girl was clutching onto her arm, and instantly looked back up in puzzlement.

"I'm not letting you go until you explain what you are," she said with determination. Nico glared at her, her lips twitching in annoyance.

"I already told you, I am _not_ a vampire." Nico lied once again reluctantly. ' _God damn it, why is she so stubborn?'_

"I can see it through your eyes. You're lying."

"You don't even know me!" yelled Nico; disgruntled enough already, she flung her arm away. The lass frowned.

Ultimately, the vampire felt like blowing her head off. There weren't enough words to describe how she was feeling. There were so many piling on top of each other, the abstract concepts of hate and trouble.

"Fine. Do you want to know the truth?" Nico questioned. The other nodded, staring sternly at the raven-head, awaiting her response. "I am a homeless vampire. There. Now let me leave,"

Shocked, the girl could only gape, too speechless to say anything while her hands slowly slid off Nico's arm. Nico hissed like a snake and proceeded to exit the house, she had enough. But before she could, her arm was trailing behind for some reason. No, it couldn't be. Tall, skinny fingers clutched onto her arm. Again. Exasperated, Nico turned around quickly, glaring at the teen.

"I already told you-"

"W-wait!"—the female cried—"S-stay here! I-I mean…" she trailed off, and Nico softened the expression masking her face.

"Me? Stay here? You're kidding..." Nico spoke with a imperfect tone, tears on the brim of her eyes. The crimson-headed victim's violet orbs enlarged. "I've lost everything. My family, my happiness. Just because I liked your species—humans...! My parents kicked me out, I was stuck, all alone. It felt like there was nothing to live for anymore. It's hard...you know...! When you're by yourself, isolated from the others. And, I'm a vampire! Do you really think that staying here...would cheer me up...?"

The vampire began to cry quietly, snuffling at the same time. But before Nico knew it, she was up against the wall. The redhead's hands were on either side of the vampire; she couldn't escape. The teen took note of Nico's strawberry orbs, reminding her of her favourite food: tomatoes. Some of the strands of the vampire's silky, jet black hair was caught in between her fingers. And it felt tingly. The redhead didn't know why however, yet a surge of anxiety ran through her body.

"Then, where are you going to stay...?" she asked, without exchanging any eye contact.

Nico fell silent, averting her gaze from the other and decided to ignore her question, "Why...why didn't you say anything when I told you that I was a vampire...?"

The girl fell silent.

"Honestly, at first I was shocked. But then...I didn't care. I've got a little bit of knowledge of vampires."

Nico lifted her eyebrows, "A-are you a-"

"No." the redhead shook her head. "I'm not. Anyway, will you stay?"

Nico considered the younger one's question, but she was uncertain of what to decide. This irritating girl was her victim. Though maybe if she did stay with her for a while, she could learn more about the human lifestyle. She didn't want to, but then she did. It wasn't like she wanted to. It couldn't be helped. This was only for learning purposes. Nothing else. At least that was what Nico thought; as she briefly brushed her tears away, a new idea suddenly appeared in the oh-so-clever mind of hers. Maybe this could work.

"What if... you'll be my blood supplier?" Nico asked.

"Blood...supplier...? Me? N-no...! I..."

Nico nodded and placed her hands on her hips, gazing at the tall one seriously. "Every three days I need to drink blood. I'll only stay if you'll be my blood supplier."

As soon as the teen caught a glimpse at Nico, she observed her appearance while thinking about it. Eventually—feeling uncomfortable—Nico pushed the redhead away. "Why are you staring at me!"

"I w-was not! Whatever your name is!" objected the teen, and twirled her vermillion hair.

The vampire grunted. "The name's Nico. Yazawa Nico. Now answer my question, Slanty-Eye,"

"S-shut up...I'm Nishikino Maki..."

"Eh? Can't hear you," Nico said, her ears trying to listen closely and capture the enticing words of the orchid-eyed teen. Maki growled.

"Mou! Nishikino Maki!" And she crossed her arms, looking away. Nico groaned, this idiot was enough to fume the boiler and erupt the volcano inside her head. But it seemed to her that Maki was just acting naturally. She speculated that Maki was usually like this—when someone provoked her. Just like the vampire. However, it wasn't Nico's intention to aggravate the redhead, after all. She was just irritated. And because of that, Nico can get a bit difficult to deal with.

After a few minutes of silence, Maki took a glimpse of the vampire, who was staring at her. "W-what?"

"Nothing. It's just that..."—Nico trailed off, and recalled the stripy blue bow that was attached to Maki's plain shirt. It wasn't regular for her to even take notice of the skirt the redhead was wearing either. Not to mention her shoes as well. It looked exactly like the ones in Otonokizaka Academy. However, she abstained the anticipation—"The uniform you're wearing, it looks like the one I go to school with..."

Maki spoke. "So, you go to Otonokizaka...? I haven't seen you around before in my year,"

"Eh?" And Nico puffed her cheeks in annoyance, causing Maki to furrow her eyebrows. "Well, t-that's because..."

"Because...?"

"I...I'm a third year,"

Having heard of Nico's declaration, Maki observed her, noting how incredibly small she was for a third year compared to herself. Furthermore, Nico didn't even look like a third year. No offence to her. She glanced at the vampire and scanned her appearance once again, opposing to Nico's statement inwardly. "Well...you don't-"

Before Maki could continue, Nico hissed, causing the lavender-eyed student to jolt. "I don't need to know what you think,"

Sighing, Maki beckoned Nico to follow her back to her room. But, Nico didn't seem to take the hint. Instead, she just stood there—Maki's mouth twitched. This one was going to be a handful.

"Aren't you going to follow me?" she questioned. Nico shook her head in response.

"You still haven't agreed to be my blood supplier. So no."

"...How are we going to...?" Maki questioned as silent as she could, but Nico perfectly heard it, despite the fact that she was slightly distanced from the lass. She placed her fingers on her chin and rubbed it softly, pondering about the possibilities. Nico flinched and hoisted her head.

"We have class tomorrow, right?"

Maki nodded, "But, like you said, you need blood every three days,"

"Well, it's Tuesday tomorrow; that means I'll need more on Thursday. We could find a private room or something, I don't know yet. You'll help, right?"

Then, Maki began to twirl her vermillion hair once again, "I'm still not sure...and where's your uniform?"

At the sound of uniform, Nico froze. Her uniform was back _there,_ where _they_ were. In the end, Maki didn't receive a response, as Nico occupied herself by gazing at the floor.

"G-geez, fine then. I-it's not like I want to...just because I'm your blood supplier, okay?"

By the time her entwined thoughts were shattered, Nico crossed her arms, blinking promptly for a few seconds to shake _them_ off her head, "I still don't trust you though, so shut up."

"What's wrong with you?"—Maki trained her eyes onto Nico—"You ask me to do you a favour and yet you still act like an idiot. You even said that you like humans—us!"

It was true. But Nico couldn't find the words to express her feelings. Although she wanted to voice everything. Her lack of audacity prevented it, unfortunately; she fell silent, her sorrowful eyes narrowed slowly with no hint of physical emotion revealing itself.

"L-let's go," Maki said, and turned to face the opposite direction, "Nico-chan,"

Nico's ruby eyes extended instantly like a child who had received a present from Father Christmas, processing what Maki had just called her slowly. No one has ever called her that before. And to be called that surprised the cold vampire, for in fact it was the first time. Ever. Nico only met her a few minutes ago, when her life was going to expire any second. Butterflies roamed the insides of her stomach as she clutched onto her chest, glancing at Maki in bewilderment.

"W-what?"

Maki began to walk slowly without glancing at the vampire, a rosy glow on her scorching cheeks. "Nothing."

* * *

 _A/N:_

That's it. With all the amazing responses that people have wrote about this story, I have decided to continue it. Thank you so much. You guy's have cheered me up quite a lot. So, once again, thank you for following/favouriting/reviewing and reading. It's great to know that so many people are supporting this story. Let's respond to the reviews, cause, why not?

 _Guest (1):_ I'm glad you liked the fact that Nico and Maki are starring in this story. Thank you.

 _Yurista2014:_ Your English is actually very impressive! Don't worry about it! I appreciate that you liked the first chapter :) Hello, Argentina!

 _Guest (2):_ Haha, I like that you just wrote 'good.' Anyways, thank you!

 _Kirika:_ It doesn't matter, I could still read your English anyway. Very good! Well, you'll be glad to know that I am continuing it! Thank you for the review. Loved it.

 _Kumiko-chii:_ Hey, Kumiko-chan! you alright now? I'm happy that I captured your interest. Fighto dayo~!

 _Rena Bodewig:_ Wow, what a great review. Haha.

 _NyanHellacat18:_ I'm going to cry now, thanks for the support.

 _ANozomii:_ Woah, thank you! I'm delighted.

 _Zehiroth:_ Gomen, because it will be covered throughout the story. You will find out soon though! :D

 _Dash24zappshift:_ Same, I wish a miracle would happen too. It just hasn't come to me yet. Glad you liked it.

 _Yzyr:_ ***faints*** S-sugoi response to the first chapter...

 _KidoTsubomi22:_ Your wish has been granted... ***still on the floor***

...That's all for now. Review...Until n-next time... Yzyr, keep gobsmacking me...


	3. Chapter 3

_**~oOoOoOoOoOo~**_

 _ **Chapter Three**_

 _ **~oOoOoOoOoOo~**_

* * *

A bittersweet silence enveloped the dark hallways as Maki led Nico to somewhere that the vampire did not know, a light blush flashing her pale cheeks. Without exchanging eye contact, Maki peered behind her to see that Nico was staring out of space, and when the vampire had caught her, she hurriedly averted her gaze. She pursed her lips in order to prevent the constant trembling that rose her agitation, the beat of her heart pounding rhythmically. Nico wondrously stared at the picturesque features of the house. She never realised how elegant and graceful it was until now, maybe it was because of her lack of blood a few minutes ago. After all, her vision was completely fuzzy; it was in the process of betraying her. Fortunately, it vanished after her meal. Eventually, Nico gazed at the redhead in front of her, her hand extending out with no particular reason. Nico's mouth opened awkwardly, though no dialogue managed to escape it without stuttering. Then it closed, and Nico lowered her head. She withdrew her hand, sighing after.

 _'What am I doing…?'_ she thought, once again sighing. Maki turned around, raising an eyebrow. By the time she was aware, Nico hesitated and looked away.

"Nico-chan?" Maki questioned, eyeing Nico pensively. But she struggled: Nico's lips were practically a line. At the sight of this, Maki tilted her head and fixed her eyes on the scene right before her, remaining silent as mice. The vampire couldn't help but gulp, guilty of ignoring the vermillion-haired female who was navigating her to their destination. But then, she didn't trust her, not now, not here. Nico gritted her teeth—mixed emotions running through her head—and scratched her face. Frustration grew larger and larger as she continued to trail behind, but when they arrived at the entrance to (what Nico speculated) Maki's room, it was drowned in astonishment as soon as she stepped into the room. She gazed at it, ogling the spacious features with a tomato-patterned wallpaper. Maki's bed was incredibly bulky as well, with a collection of albums sitting on the colourless bedside table. A lamp shone brightly, yet lightening the room dimly. And when Nico shifted her sight to make a discovery of a polished piano lying adjacent to the balcony, her ruby eyes enlarged. Gobsmacked, the vampire could only hang her jaw.

"A-amazing…" Nico stuttered while Maki was busy twirling the silky strands of crimson hair.

"Really? Isn't this just like any other bedroom?" Maki asked; Nico remained silent. Her lips curled into a frown, deflated that Nico didn't reply once again. "You know you can talk to me,"

Like a lightning bolt, Nico twisted her unpredictable figure and glared at Maki with hostile eyes. "Did I ask for your help?"

"Pretty much, since you asked me to become your blood supplier."

"I didn't ask, I said if I was going to stay for a while you need to be it,"

"When are you going to stop with your crappy attitude?" Maki hissed, causing Nico to flinch. The vampire's hands formed into a ball of fury, her bones crackling loudly. She stormed up to the redhead, training her eyes onto lavender orbs.

"Get used to it."

Maki sighed, "You know...if this keeps up, I might as well not talk with you either. You're literally acting like an idiot, you won't even talk to me or even initiate a conversation."

"So what, I'm only here because I was about to die!"

"I _helped_ you!" Maki bellowed. Nico's eyes widened, softening the expression on her face. The vampire stood still, stiff as a rock.

"I thought you didn't care..."

Maki jolted, looking away immediately. "I-I... Mou...!"

It seemed as if Maki was not particularly good with her true feelings—Nico noted this inwardly. She thought that this was one of the visible traits of the redhead. And it was showing. Clearly.

"Well, even if you did, I wouldn't trust you still," Nico responded sourly. Maki was reluctant to continue the subject, deciding to change the topic in the end due to her distaste of where this was going. It looked like she was going to have to earn Nico's trust, though, she wondered what obstacles would stand in her way in resistance. She sighed—her thoughts were brushed away by some broom in her imagination.

"Aren't you going to at least have a shower?" Maki questioned, scanning Nico's appearance once again. The vampire had bruises scattered all over her, despite the fact that her injury had been healed. Her rugged attire deserved a wash as well. Maki took a whiff, sniffing quietly; she pinched her nose. "Maybe now's the time..."

Eventually the vampire surveyed herself—Maki was right. Though, she didn't want to admit it out loud.

"I-it's not that b-bad."

"You're kidding! You smell horrible!"

"Shut your mouth!"

"Not until you agree!"

A volcano of irritation was about to erupt. Nico inhaled and exhaled thoroughly afterwards while Maki blinked continuously. Fortunately, a sense of calmness overcame her surge of annoyance and she let an icy breath part her lips for one last time. Nico began to regret ever asking her victim to become her blood supplier. It was the only negative thought inside her head at the moment. But, if she was going to learn more about the human lifestyle, she was going to have to stay here. It would be worth it in the end, or rather it could: Maki's attitude was already on her hate list. How many more were there? Bad hygiene, bad odor or... Annoyed once again, Nico scratched her face. Her loss of words for Maki made quite an impact on her. However, she tried to deny it.

Maki rolled her eyes, "You really are-"

"Fine! Lend me some clothes." Nico interrupted; Maki's jaw dropped.

"E-Eh? Why?"

"Because I don't have clothes, idiot. It was obvious from the beginning," Nico answered, "You're kinda tall, so it might not fit…but, who cares,"

Narrowing her eyes, Maki stared at Nico. The vampire jolted, stepping back quickly. She parted her lips in preparation to complain about such actions from the other.

' _Are humans usually like this when they get close?'_ Nico thought with knitted eyebrows. In fact Maki was so close to her that Nico felt as if she was an insect trying to escape from a human by hiding in the crevices of a rock. ' _Get away from me...'_

Then Maki withdrew her position and distanced herself from the vampire, her lavender orbs still fixated on the smaller one. "Go ahead, I'll go get you some pyjamas after you...you arrive at the bathroom." After she had told her this, she looked away in a rushed manner.

She fiddled with her fingers, eventually leading Nico to the bathroom after. When Nico discovered that they had to walk _again_ she sighed. Although she had healed, the exhaustion that she retrieved couldn't be snatched away. Once again, she found herself staring at the detailed and inspirational themes of the furniture and walls. What she didn't realise was that Maki was suddenly standing still.

"W-what the?!" Nico bumped into the redhead, almost dropping to the floor. She steadied her balance luckily, shaking quite a bit. "What the hell!"

Maki slowly shifted her head, "T-the... the flashlight!"

Nico retorted, "Eh? _That's_ what you were worried about? You can't be scared of the dark, Maki-chan,"

"Of course not!"

"Then, why are you worrying about it? God..."

Suddenly, they heard a noise. They both jolted, scanning their surroundings in a rushed manner. Nico kept shifting her head from side to side, narrowing her eyes in order to concentrate, "Oi, Maki-chan...what the hell was that? You're not trying to scare me, right? Cause, it's not going to work," When Nico had said this, an anxious laugh escaped her mouth as she continued to look around. She eventually found out that the sound was footsteps, and Nico yelped. She clinged onto the other; Maki's rosy lips curled into a smirk.

"It must be that ghost~" Maki muttered, a hint of sarcasm, yet it didn't go noticed by the other. It was out of the ordinary for the redhead to be sarcastic anyway. "It always visits whenever I come out of my room at night if I need a drink. Sometimes it appears when I can't sleep as well..."

Teeth clattering, Nico whimpered, only making Maki smile even further. Then she realised that Nico had called her by her name when the certain thought led into another. The redhead lightly blushed, shaking her head after. Nico did not notice however as she was busy looking from back to forth.

 _'I guess I'll ask her after she has a shower...'_

"E-Eh?! Really?! I-I mean...no vampire would be terrified of such rumors!" Nico cried. The noise grew louder, someone or something was approaching them. Nico dug her nails into Maki's arm tightly, causing Maki's orchid eyes to twitch in pain. "M-Maki-chan...!"

Unable to resist the irking pain, Maki decided to confess. The vampire called her 'Maki-chan' again. "R-r-relax, it's probably mama,"

"M-mama...?" a suppressed tone escaped her lips as if it was smothered in depression. It reminded the vampire of _her._

"My mother,"

Nico pulled away from the other and stood on her toes. It was then that Maki became intimidated by the slightly taller vampire, although she was still taller, of course. Fortunately the pain had vanished. Though she was sure that there were marks on her arm now.

"And she doesn't know that I'm here, does she?" Nico said—Maki slapped her own cheeks. She extended her eyes to almost the point where her brows were, making Nico whirl her cherry orbs. Then she sweared somewhat quietly, desperate to think of something quickly. Nico began to drop down on her flat feet, her height returning to its normal state.

"Geez-"

"Shut up! I-I'm thinking!"

The redhead rubbed her hands against her chin, troubled by the fact that her mother was not aware of the present situation.

"Maki? Is that you? I heard a few noises down here, and I found your flashlight as well," a voice appeared, sounding the hallway. Footsteps became more dynamic. Panicking, Maki looked around.

 _'Room over there...it's locked though. We could go back to the room, but then she could catch us...ah, there's a cupboard there...but that—wait, cupboard!'_

A white glint in Maki's eye appeared; she grasped Nico's back and pushed her towards the cupboard. Nico protested silently as she reached the cupboard, with Maki mouthing 'wait' without getting caught—she opted to take charge. The vampire sighed, nodding afterwards. Maki shut the door hurriedly, brushing off the sweat that made her forehead become damp in relief.

 _'Phew-'_

"Maki? What on earth are you doing here? You're meant to be sleeping,"

Maki jumped, all kinds of anxiety running through her mind, along with more sweat spawning on her face. In the distance, a much more mature and older woman stood in front of the student with a much more darker shade of red as her hair. It was a mess, and Maki noticed that dark bags were in the process of forming under her eyes. She gulped. The scarlet-headed teen hesitated, her mother was awaiting her explanation.

"I couldn't sleep, so I went out for a drink, mama. My flashlight fell on the way and shut itself by its own, and so I couldn't see. So then I headed to the kitchen. G-gomen," she lied. ' _That was a close call...'_

Generally, Maki wasn't the sort of person who would be dishonest towards her parents, though in this case, it was appropriate. She couldn't imagine her mother's reaction, instead she worked hard to sanction that thought.

"Also, I might...go for a shower after," Maki said.

"Well, go on ahead then, I'll be watching you as you leave," her mother's soft voice became present once again.

"W-watching?"

Maki's mother nodded, "Mm, so I could see that you're safe,"

"But mama, I am safe,"

"You can go now,"

Not desiring for more opposition, Maki turned to face the kitchen, slowly walking. _'Nico-chan..."_

She hesitated several times throughout the walk to the kitchen, puzzling her mother and causing her to crease her eyebrows. "Maki?"

"Y-yes!?" A loud cry escaped the crimson-haired student. She tilted her head nervously.

"Are you alright?"

"Y-yes, mama,"

Her mother stared at the flashlight grasped in her hands, "Here, have the flashlight. Be careful,"

She handed over the flashlight to the other, who retrieved it and proceeded to walk to the unexpected destination. The older one exhaled as soon as Maki arrived at the kitchen, though it made her curious to why her daughter was acting like that. Tired, she could only return to her room in a zombie-like way, forgetting about it instantly as she yawned like a sleepy lion.

On the other hand, Nico was impatiently waiting for the younger female. The uncomfortableness wasn't very reassuring, since the door was just a few centimetres from her face. Nico didn't have the courage to open the door, and she did not want to: she predicted that Maki's mother was still there. Besides, her hand was out of bounds from the door knob, as it was squashed behind her body and extending outwards. She observed the objects behind her, her incredible eyesight made it easy to make out what they were. Most of them were cleaning products, with a broom and a few dust pans also including a brush. In addition, there were chunky black bags, filled with what-she-thought unwanted things. It was just a mere estimate though—it could've been something else. It wasn't until she became aware of the smell as well, causing her nose to twitch rapidly.

"Where is that idiot...?" Nico muttered, struggling to stay still—she was going to blow. She disliked that it was taking a rather long time, but she was unsure whether Maki's mother was actually there.

"This...this will take a goddamn while," she said in a displeased tone. Hopefully, Maki would come and get her soon, after all, she wasn't enjoying her stay in the cupboard. And before she could shuffle slightly, Nico grunted.

"Well, this is nice..."


End file.
